Non-Intrusive Monitoring of Quality Levels for Voice Communications Over a Packet-Based Network

1. A method of determining a quality of service parameter of a packet-based network, comprising: receiving incoming data packets comprising reference test packets amid actual streaming data packets over the packet-based network during a call session between a first network resource and a second network resource, wherein the actual streaming data packets are generated by the first network resource and the reference test packets comprise a test signal; detecting if the received incoming data packets are reference test packets; and if the received incoming data packets are reference test packets, determining the quality of service parameter by comparing a reference test signal with the test signal utilizing an algorithm for objectively assessing quality of speech.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference test signal is aligned with the test signal prior to input into the algorithm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the algorithm is at least a one of Perceptual Speech Quality Measurement (PSQM), Perceptual Speech Quality Measurement Plus (PSQM+), Perceptual Analysis Measurement System (PAMS) and Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality (PESQ).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference test signal is retrieved from a storage device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference test signal is artificially generated.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the test signal is a sample of human speech.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a start of test signal message to indicate that the test signal transmission is commencing.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an end of test signal message to indicate that the test signal transmission is complete.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating the quality of service parameter.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein communicating the quality of service parameter includes communicating to a report server.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the report server setting an indication in a switch that the packet-based network is unavailable if the quality of service parameter indicates an unacceptable quality level of the packet-based network.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the quality of service parameter includes deriving quality of service parameters for plural routes in the packet-based network between a switch and other remote switches.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving incoming data packets over the packet-based network further comprises receiving Internet Protocol packets.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the quality of service parameter further includes deriving packet loss.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the quality of service parameter further includes deriving jitter.

16. A method of determining a quality of service parameter of a packet-based network, comprising: receiving incoming streaming data from a first network resource during a call session between the first network resource and a second network resource; checking the incoming streaming data for activity; and on determining a period of inactivity in the incoming streaming data, transmitting outgoing streaming data to the second network resource during the call session, the outgoing streaming data comprising a test signal, the test signal comprising a predetermined reference speech signal.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the incoming streaming data comprises an uncompressed signal.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the incoming streaming data comprises a quantized uncompressed signal.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the test signal is a quantized uncompressed signal.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the checking the incoming streaming data for activity comprises: extracting payload from the incoming streaming data; decoding the payload into an uncompressed signal; and determining a period of inactivity in the uncompressed signal; wherein the period of inactivity is defined by a period of silence.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the silence is substantially acoustic silence.

22. The method of claim 16 , wherein the period of inactivity is predetermined.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the period of silence is determined adaptively.

24. The method of claim 16 , further comprising on determining a period of inactivity in the incoming streaming data, transmitting an inactivity signal.

25. The method of claim 16 , further comprising generating the test signal.

26. The method of claim 16 , further comprising retrieving the test signal from a storage device.

27. The method of claim 16 , further comprising encoding the test signal into the outgoing streaming data.

28. A system for determining a quality level of a packet-based network, comprising: an interface to the packet-based network to receive packets including actual streaming data packets amid test reference packets during a call session between a first network resource and a second network resource, the test reference packets including a test signal; and a controller adapted to determine one or more quality of service parameters based on comparing the test signal with a reference test signal utilizing an algorithm for objectively assessing quality of speech, the controller further adapted to communicate the determined one or more quality of service parameters to a network element coupled to the packet-based network to control operation of a first switch that controls access to the packet-based network for call sessions.

29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the algorithm is at least a one of Perceptual Speech Quality Measurement (PSQM), Perceptual Speech Quality Measurement Plus (PSQM+), Perceptual Analysis Measurement System (PAMS) and Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality (PESQ).

30. The system of claim 28 , wherein the reference test signal is aligned with the test signal prior to input into the algorithm.

31. The system of claim 28 , wherein the one or more quality of service parameters further includes packet loss.

32. The system of claim 28 , wherein the one or more quality of service parameters further includes jitter.

33. The system of claim 28 , wherein the interface is adapted to receive packets from plural remote quality of service monitoring devices.

34. The system of claim 33 , wherein each of the remote quality of service monitoring devices is associated with a remote switch and wherein the controller is adapted to determine quality of service parameters associated with plural routes between the remote switches and the first switch.

35. The system of claim 28 , wherein the packet-based network includes an Internet Protocol network.

36. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions for determining a quality level of a packet-based network, the instructions when executed causing a system to: receive incoming data packets comprising reference test packets amid actual streaming data packets over the packet-based network from a first network resource during a call session communicatively coupling the first network resource and a second network resource wherein the actual streaming data packets are generated by the first network resource and the reference test packets comprise a test signal; detecting if the received incoming data packets are reference test packets; and if the received incoming data packets are reference test packets, determine the quality level by comparing a reference test signal with the test signal utilizing an algorithm for objectively assessing quality of speech.

37. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 36 , wherein the reference test signal is aligned with the test signal prior to input into the algorithm.

38. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 36 , wherein the algorithm is at least a one of Perceptual Speech Quality Measurement (PSQM), Perceptual Speech Quality Measurement Plus (PSQM+), Perceptual Analysis Measurement System (PAMS) and Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality (PESQ).

39. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 36 , wherein the reference test signal is retrieved from a storage device.

40. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 36 , wherein the test signal is a sample of human speech.

41. A method of determining a quality of service parameter of a packet-based network, comprising: receiving incoming data packets comprising reference test packets amid actual streaming data packets over the packet-based network during a call session between a first network resource and a second network resource, wherein the actual streaming data packets are generated by the first network resource and the reference test packets comprise a test signal; detecting if the received incoming data packets are reference test packets; and if the received incoming data packets are reference test packets, determining the quality of service parameter by comparing a reference test signal with the test signal, wherein the test signal is a sample of human speech.

42. A system for determining a quality level of a packet-based network, comprising: an interface to the packet-based network to receive packets including actual streaming data packets amid test reference packets during a call session between a first network resource and a second network resource, the test reference packets including a test signal; and a controller adapted to determine one or more quality of service parameters based on comparing the test signal with a reference test signal, wherein the test signal is a sample of human speech, the controller further adapted to communicate the determined one or more quality of service parameters to a network element coupled to the packet-based network to control operation of a first switch that controls access to the packet-based network for call sessions.

43. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions for determining a quality level of a packet-based network, the instructions when executed causing a system to: receive incoming data packets comprising reference test packets amid actual streaming data packets over the packet-based network from a first network resource during a call session communicatively coupling the first network resource and a second network resource wherein the actual streaming data packets are generated by the first network resource and the reference test packets comprise a test signal; detecting if the received incoming data packets are reference test packets; and if the received incoming data packets are reference test packets, determine the quality level by comparing a reference test signal with the test signal, wherein the test signal is a sample of human speech.